Fibrous stock dyeing machine



Jan. 20, 1948. A. ROBERTSON FIBROUS STOCK DYEING MACHINE Filed April`3o, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 1 n l I l 1 Jan. 20, E948. A. ROBERTSON2,434,719

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Patented Jan. 20, 1948 A 2,434,719 FIBRoUs sfroon DYEING MACHINEAlexander Robertson, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Venango EngineeringCompany, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication April 30, 1946, Serial No. 666,112 2 claims. l(c1. css- 187)This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus fordyeing and otherwise treating brous materials.

One object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of thestated type having a carrier for the material embodying a centralstandpipe wherein novel means is provided to effect a fluidtight jointor seal between the standpipe and a fluid conductor of the vessel inwhich the material is treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the characterset forth having a carrier for the material comprising a supporttherefor together with compression means to overlie said material andnovel means to retain said compression means firmly upon the material onsaid support.

A further` object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the statedcharacter wherein the novel features set forth herein are of relativelysimplified and inexpensive construction, and wholly efficient andfoolproof in operation and use.

' These and other objects of the invention and the various features anddetails of the construction and operation thereof are hereinafter fullyset forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view vertically through a dyeing machine embodyingthe present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a dyeing machine madeaccording to the present invention comprises a vat or vessel I ofgenerally cylindrical shape which may be mounted upon a suitable base orsupport structure 2. The vessel I is provided with an inte gral convexbottom portion 3 having an opening 4 therein which is reinforced bymeans of an annular ring or the like 5 which is tted therein andsecured, for example, by welding to the adjacent interior wall surfaceof the vat bottom portion 3.

The top or upper end of the vat or vessel l is provided with a cover orclosure 6 of generally dome shape which has secured thereto circurnnierentially of its edge a laterally extending flange 1. A similar flange8 is secured. circumferentially of the upper edge of the Vat, and asuitable gasket 9 is interposed between the facing surfaces of saidflanges 1 and 8 to provide a fluid-tight joint between the vat I and itscover or closure The cover 6 is secured tightly upon the vat 'i by meansof a plurality of bolts I0 pivoted to ears II on a band I2 whichsurrounds the vat l immediately beneath the laterally extending flangeThese bolts ID are swung upwardly on their pivots to engage between earsI3 on a cover band I4 and suitable nuts I5 are threaded on the bolts I9to thereby clamp the cover 6 tightly upon the vat or vessel I in therelation shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Secured to the ring 5 at the underside of the vat i, for example, bymeans of bolts, is a fitting IS comprising an outer circular wallportion ll and an inner circular wall portion I8. These wall portions Iland I8 are constructed and arranged as shown to provide in said fittingI6 an inner fluid passage I9 and a concentric annular outer fluidpassage 20, said passages having ports ZI and 22, respectively, openingthereto as illustrated. A pipe 23 is connected to the port 2I of thepassage I9, and a similar pipe 24 is connected to the port 22 of thefitting passage 2i).

Secured upon the ring 5 internally of the Vat I, so as to overlie theopening therethrough and effectively screen or filter liquid entering,or eX- hausting from, the vat through the fitting passage 29 and pipe24, is a screen 25 which is constructed as shown in the drawings andprovided with an opening centrally therethrough.

A carrier for the material to be processed ccmprises a standpipe 26which extends coaxially within the vat or vessel I and through theopening in the screen member 25. The standpipe 26 has its lower end incommunication with the fluid conductor defined by the circular innerwall portion I8 of the fitting I6 and, in this connection, it is to benoted that the upper end portion of the fitting wall i8 is flaredoutwardly as indicated at 2l to receive therein the correspondinglytapered portion 28 of a sleeve member 29 that is fixed upon the lowerend portion of said standpipe 26 in the relation shown in Fig. 1.

The standpipe 2E extends upwardly within the vat I and terminatessubstantially at the level of the upper edge thereof. The upper end ofthe standpipe 26 is closed by means of a cap 30 having an end portion 3|of generally conical 'configuration and a skirt portion 32 which ispositioned interiorly of the standpipe 26. Suitable fluid openings 33are provided in the standpipe 2G adjacent the upper end thereof, andthese openings 33 are covered by screens 34 that are supportedexteriorly about the* standpipe by means of clamp bars or the like 35.The cap Si) is retained within the standpipe 26 by means of a cross-pin36 on the opposite ends of which is of the fitting wall I8 to provide afluidtight joint therebetween, a screw member 38^is provided which hasits inner end connected through a universal joint construction 39 to agenerally conical shaped foot 49 that seats upon the conicalVA upper end3l of the cap 39. 'Ihe'screwmemberv 38 is threaded in and carried by abracket 4I secured in the cover 6 and arranged so that when the latteris closed upon the vat Iithe `screw 33 extends coaxially with respect tothe standpipe 26. A suitable packing gland 42 is provided about thescrew 38 to prevent fluid leakage outwardly between the latter andbracket 4I. The screw 38 is providedfwith a hand wheel or the like 43exteriorly of the closure 5 for rotating the screw', and it will beapparent that when the said screw 38 is rotated to advance the sameinwardly of the vessel, the conical foot 49 is forced against the cap 30thereby in turn forcing the standpipe 26 downwardly so that the taperedportion 29 of the sleeve 29 is urged into rm seating engagement withinthe flared end portion 21 of the t ting wall I8 thus providing afiuidetight therebetween.

Removably disposed within the vat or vessel I is a carrier for thematerial to be processed. This carrier comprises a lower support orspider 44 having a central hub portion 45 which slidably embraces thestandpipe 26, and from which extend radial arms 46 that terminate in anouter circumferential wall portion 41 of such diameter that its loweredge engages the vessel bottom end 3 in the fully lowered position ofthecarrier to support the same above and clear of the screen 25 in therelation shown in Fig. 1 of' the drawings.

,Overlying the spider 44 is a perforated plate 48 which is secured inplace by means of ratchet bars 49, 49 that extend vertically within thevessel and have lower end portions of reduced diameter which extendthrough said plate 48 and are secured, for example, by nuts or the vlike59, in suitably formed bosses 5I in the arms 46 of the spider.

The material carrier may be divided into two halves by means of verticalpartition plates 52, 52 extending diametrically of the standpipe 26 andfastened thereto Yby means of suitable 'clamps 53. overlying thematerial supported by the carrier are screen compression plates 54, 54of semi-circular configuration conforming to the halves of the carrierdefined by the vertical partition plates 52, 52 and having ribs 54asecured thereon to render said plates 54, 54 substantially rigid. Thescreen plates 54, 54 have openings 55 therein lpositioned to receivetherethrough the 'plates both to give reinforcement thereto in the"areas in which the ratchet bars 49, 49 project A'upwardly through saidplates and to provide mountings for` pawls 51, 51, respectively, whichvareuconstructed and arranged to releasably engage the teeth of theratchetbars 49, 49 and thereby secure the plates 54, 54 in compressionjupon the material to be processed, it being ap- 'pa'rent thatv the'construction and arrangement described enables the screen plates 54, 54to be positioned at different elevations with respect to each other asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The screen plates 54, 54 may be removedfrom covering relation with respect to the material in the carriermerely by disengaging the pawls 51, 51 from the ratchet bars 49, 49 andthen withdrawing said plates upwardly and out of the vat or vessel I.

` In operation and use of a machine made as herein described, the cover6 is removed from the vessel I and the fibrous material to be treated isdumped onto the lower plate 48 and packed closely around the standpipe26 to the desired depth. After the material has been packed into thecarrier in this manner the screens 54, 54 are then passed downwardlyupon the ratchet bars 49, 49 onto the material in the course of whichthe pawls 51, 51 merely ride over the ratchet teeth and ultimatelysecure the plates 54, 54 against upward displacement. The cover 6 isthen lowered into place and clamped against the topof the vessel bymeans of the bolts Ill and nuts I5. The hand wheel 43 is then rotated toactuate the screw 38 downwardly causing the foot 49 to force thestandpipe 26 downwardly thereby urging the tapered lower end portion 28thereof into firm seating engagement within the flared portion 21 of thefluid conductor I8 to provide a fluid-tight joint therebetween.

Fluid'is then caused to ow through the pipe 23 and conductor I8 up intothe standpipe 26 from which it is forced radially outwardly through theopenings 33 to ow downwardly through the mass of material surroundingthe standpipe.

It is to be particularly noted that the standpipe 26 has openings 33near the top and that therefore the fluid will flow therefrom into theupper part of the vessel where it creates hydraulic pressure against themass of material on the carrier. This pressure is exerted against theplates 54, 54 of the carrier to force the latter still furtherdownwardly upon the ratchet bars 49, 49 in which position they areretained by the pawls 51, 51 thereby further compressing the underlyingmaterial The fluid circulated through `the system permeates the massfrom the top drainingy down through the perforated bottom plate 48 intothe bottom of th'e vessel, whence it is exhausted through the passage 2Dand pipe 24. After the material has been treated in this manner for apredetermined period the uid flow may be reversed so that fluid isadmitted through pipe 24 beneath the carrier to flow upwardly throughthe material and into the top of the standpipe 26 from which it isexhausted through the pipe 23. Fluid circulation in this manner createshydraulic pressure beneath the carrier and by slidably mounting thespider 44 on the standpipe 26 the carrier may move upwardly within thevessel I under the infiuence of such pressure free of the standpipe 26so that the fluid-tight connection thereof with the uid conductor I8 isnot disturbed. n

After the treating process is completed the cover 6 is lifted off fromthe top of the vessel and the screen plates 54, 54 are removed from thetop of the mass. A suitable tackle or chain hoist is then hooked intothe shackle-eye 31 and the carrier is hoisted out from the vessel withthe treated material contained thereon in a solid mass. After thecarrier has been withdrawn from the vessel the mass of treated materialsurrounding the standpipe 26 may be readily removed.

From the foregoing description it will be aptween the standpipe and afluid conductor of the` Vessel in which the material is treated. Theinvention also provides an apparatus of the character set forth having acarrier for the material comprising a support therefor together withcompression means to overlie said material and novel means to retainsaid compression means firmly upon the material on said support. Theinvention further provides an apparatus of the character set forth whichis of relatively simplified and inexpensive construction and whollyeicient and foolproof in operation and use.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has beenillustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit theinvention to such disclosure and changes and modifications may be madetherein and thereto within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for dyeing and otherwise treating fibrous material, acarrier for supporting the material comprising a vertical standpipe, asupport on said standpipe adjacent the lower end thereof for materialpacked thereabout, a plurality of ratchet bars mounted on said supportand extending parallel to said standpipe in laterally spaced relationthereto, a compression plate slidable vertically on each of said ratchetbars and adapted to overlie the material on said support, and meansassociated with each of said compression plates arranged to releasablyengage the ratchet bars thereby to retain said plates individually incompression upon the material on said support.

2. In apparatus for dyeing and otherwise treating fibrous material, acarrier for supporting the material comprising a vertical standpipe, asupport slidable on said standpipe adjacent the lower end thereof formaterial packed thereabout, a plurality of ratchet bars mounted on saidsupport and extending parallel to said standpipe in laterally spacedrelation thereto, a compression plate slidable vertically on each ofsaid ratchet bars and adapted to overlie the material on said support,means associated with each of said compression plates arranged toreleasably engage the ratchet bars thereby to retain said platesindividually in compression upon the material on said support, andvertical partition means extending radially of the standpipe andsubdividing the space thereabout into a plurality of compartmentscorresponding in number and area to the overlying compression plates.

ALEXANDER ROBERTSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 782,147 Leisel Feb. '7, 1905976,830 Payne Nov. 22, 1910 1,148,377 Grandsire July 27, 1915 1,327,663Dudley Jan. 13, 1920 1,813,784 Traver July 7, 1931 1,903,585 Annicq Apr.11, 1933 1,960,183 Garey May 22, 1934 2,196,559 Jackson Apr. 9, 19402,207,889 Seymour July 16, 1940 2,322,743 Bell June 29, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 235,215 Great Britain June 5, 1925

